They tell us to get pictures for our projects, but the images are blocked. They tell us to write our reports, but the internet is so slow that we can barely type a couple sentences. Then they ask us why we’re not close to being done and we say “the internet’s not working” or “it’s running really slow.” We hear “well then you’ll all have to work on it at home.”

These problems are being caused by unreliable technology at the high school as well as filters the school has put on nearly everything from Google Images to apps on the iPads.

“The filters suck and the internet runs so slow that we can never work on what we need to,” said freshman Lindsey Mutter.

Some filters, such as the ones put on certain games, make us more productive.  However, filters which limit internet searches and images do not help us at all. Several important projects and other homework include finding information, that is most likely blocked, and often includes finding images, which are most definitely blocked.

“All the blocks make it harder for students to get work done. Then we have to go home just to put pictures on our projects,” said freshman Kollin Clark.

When you’re a freshman that uses an iPad for almost every class the internet is very important, so when it’s down that’s a lot of homework and regular work that could’ve been done at school now being done throughout the night at home.

“I hate it (filtering). I’m in graphic design and it’s insanely hard to find pictures for photoshop projects because they blocked pictures. I also don’t like that they blocked every app that makes us happy like Instagram, Vine, and Snapchat. I used those daily and I don’t have anything to do in study hall, but sit there. I get when you’re in class you should get detention or something, but in places where we have nothing to do, we should be allowed to have a little freedom,” said freshman Cassy Lewis.

Some freshman teachers are frustrated with the filtering and technology issues as well, because when we try to do in school activities we can’t. As the district continues to add iPads for the student body, and more and more classes are geared towards online activities, filtering and technology issues will become an even larger problem.